Identification of quality indicators of public health nursing practice: "modified Delphi" approach

Objective: Identify process indicators to measure public health nursing practice during first postnatal visits in Ireland.

Design: Using a RAND/UCLA appropriateness- "modified Delphi" method, a two-round rating and ranking process was completed in 2016. Fifty-nine statements were reviewed for consensus and priority ranking.

Sample: The sample comprised a panel of 21 national and international experts.

Results: Fifty-nine indicators were identified and subsequently reduced across two rounds of consensus testing. Fifty-six indicators achieved consensus and priority ranking identified 13 indicators to measure care for mothers and 15 indicators to measure care for newborns resulting in 28 process indicators to enable Public Health Nurses (PHNs) to measure care during the first postnatal visit.

Conclusions: Measurement of care using quality indicators plays an integral role in quality improvement. Developing quality indicators is important in improving care outcomes. This two round "modified Delphi" study combined with literature and previous qualitative findings identified process indicators to measure public health nursing practice at first postnatal visits and enables benchmarking. Developing quality indicators for public health nursing practice using a "modified Delphi" technique has enabled a platform to provide consensus amongst a panel of experts and identified key processes of care by PHNs and mothers.